New Zealander Dr John Barker has been elected as Director General of The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).
The International Organisation of Vine and Wine is an intergovernmental organisation which issues recommendations on technical and scientific aspects of viticulture and winemaking.
It has 49 Member States and 17 Observers and in 100 years of the OIV, there has never been a Director General from a Southern Hemisphere country.
Barker currently runs his own legal and consulting practice, focussed primarily on the wine sector and regulation in the international wine industry.
He was formerly NZ Winegrower’s General Counsel and General Manager Advocacy from 2004 to 2014.
He has also had a long involvement with the OIV, attending his first OIV meeting in 2000 while researching his PhD thesis on the international regulation of the wine sector.
Barker was appointed an Expert Delegate for New Zealand in 2004 and has actively participated in the OIV for 17 years in various roles, including President, Law and Economy Commission.
“Dr Barker is an outstanding New Zealander and has a deep appreciation of the history and traditions of the global vine and wine sector, but also recognises the current opportunities and challenges that our industry is experiencing today,” says Philip Gregan, CEO of New Zealand Winegrowers.
“He has the vision and the commitment to grow and strengthen the OIV, to ensure that it effectively addresses the key issues facing the sector, both now and in the future.”
Barker says he is honoured to have been elected as Director General of the OIV.
“I believe that it is essential for the global wine sector to have a modern, effective and representative international organisation, and I look forward to working together on the opportunities and challenges facing our industry like the digital economy, climate change and the role of wine in society.”
He will hold the position from 2024-2028.
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